[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] avfilter: Handle =help to show Filter options documentation

[Michael Niedermayer]

On Sat, Mar 30, 2013 at 02:27:16PM +0000, Paul B Mahol wrote:
> On 3/30/13, Michael Niedermayer <michaelni at gmx.at> wrote:
> > On Sat, Mar 30, 2013 at 03:00:45PM +0100, Clement Boesch wrote:
> >> On Sat, Mar 30, 2013 at 02:47:48AM +0100, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
> >> [...]
> >> > > But why the user should know that -vf filter=help will show help,
> >> > > instead of setting the arguments for the filter as it could be
> >> > > reasonably expected?
> >> >
> >> > its what the user actually tried who asked for it IIRC, its what i
> >> > would try probably
> >> > its what some other applications support
> >> > try qemu for a list of cpus its
> >> > -cpu '?'
> >> > or
> >> > mplayer -vo help
> >> >
> >>
> >> OTOH the first users reflex with an unknown app is to run ./app -h or
> >> ./app --help.
> >
> > which outputs several screenfulls of stuff, not containing a match
> > for lets say "curves"
> >
> > If all help isnt displayed by default then what is shown by default
> > should explain how to find ANY help and describe it in very few
> > lines
> >
> > The goal is to minimize the amount of reading & time the user needs
> > to find what he needs.
> > If the default help scrolls off the screen but contains the most
> > important at the top that scrolled off then you already fail there
> > because at least half the users wont look at whats scrolled off and
> > probably less than 5% would read several screenfulls just to find out
> > what to type in to get the full help or a specific subset they need.
> 
> I have not that strong opinion on -vf filter=help like i have strong
> opinion on hack how it is implemented.

do you see a cleaner way by which this could be implemented?

[...]

-- 
Michael     GnuPG fingerprint: 9FF2128B147EF6730BADF133611EC787040B0FAB

The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision
of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet
notwithstanding go out to meet it. -- Thucydides
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